Perennial herb from a subterranean bulb; offsets present. Leaves 4-6, linear tapering, white-striped. Inflorescence to about 90 cm; raceme cylindrical, 1- sided. Flowers less than 20, flat cup-shaped, nodding, to 5 cm wide; bracts short; spring. Tepals white, green-striped; not reflexed at fruiting. Ovary yellow-green. Fruit nodding.
Balkans
O. refractum Willd. from south-eastern to central Europe is a perennial herb from a subterranean bulb; offsets present. Leaves 4-10, broadly linear tapering, white-striped. Inflorescence to about 1.5 cm; raceme corymb-like. Flowers less than 20, flat cupshaped, erect, to 5 cm wide; bracts short or long; spring. Tepals white, greenstriped; not reflexed at fruiting. Ovary yellow-green. Fruit nodding.
O. umbellatum L., Star of Bethlehem from South Africa is a perennial herb from a subterranean bulb; offsets present. Leaves 4-9, broadly linear, tapering, whitestriped. Inflorescence to about 30 cm; raceme corymb-like. Flowers less than 20, flat cup-shaped, erect, to 4 cm wide; bracts short; spring. Tepals white, greenstriped; not reflexed at fruiting. Ovary green. Fruit erect. Weedy in some states.
O. orthophyllum Ten. from Europe and the Middle East is a perennial herb from a subterranean bulb; offsets usually absent. Leaves up to 15, linear, white-striped. Inflorescence to about 30 cm; raceme corymb-like. Flowers less than 20, flat cupshaped, erect, to 2.5 cm wide; bracts short; spring. Tepals white, green-striped; not reflexed at fruiting. Ovary green. Fruit erect. [O. tenuifolium Guss.] Can be invasive and weedy.
Source: (2005). Ledebouria. In: . Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 5. Flowering plants. Monocotyledons. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.